Generator drive for railroad cars and the like



March 25,- 1930. c. Qv. DAKE 1,751,621

GENERATOR DRIVE FOR RAILROAD CARS AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 29, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY c. w. DAKE March 25, 1930.

GENERATOR DRIVE FOR RAILROAD CARS AND TEE LIKE Filedfiept. 29, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTOR N EY Y: INVEI)N4T/OR If March 25, 1930. c. w, DAKE 1 1,751,621

GENERATOR DRIVE FOR RAILROAD CARS AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 29, 1928. 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 11 TEE- ATTORNEY p 'W. DARE, OF CHICAGO,

Patented Mar. 25 1930 ILLEIINOIS, ASSIGNOlR TO THE PYLE-NLTIONAL COH- PANY, E CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CQBPOBATION OF NEWJEBSEY' emmron naive ron cans AND THE LIKE Application filed September 29, 1928. Serial 80.309468.

My invention relates to improvements in generator drives and hasjfor one object to provide a new and improved drive for generators'mounted upon vehicles and adapted to be driven in response to rotation of the vehicle wheels. One application of my invention is the provision of a generator drive for railroad vehicles or cars. Another object of my invention'is the provision of means, as

sociated with such a drive, for maintaining the driving and driven pulleys in constant alignment. Another object is to provide means for permitting the removal of the vehicle wheel and axle without afiecting or. necessitating the dismantling of the drive.

Another object is to lengthen the life of'the belts employed, and to prevent their breakage. Other objects will appear from time to time throughout the specification and claims. r

My invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a plan view; 1

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section along I the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section along the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectionialong the line 4-4 of Figure 2. a Y

- Like parts are indicated by like characters throughout the specification and drawings.

A generally indicates any suitable car frame and A the spring suspension therefor, they being not described in detail since they form no part of the present invention. B generally indicates the car truck structure having side members B 13 and the transverse members B B B B generally indicates any suitable journal boxes in which are received the ends of the axle B". B B are wheels mounted uponsaid axle. B" is a driving pulley clamped about said axle or otherwise held against rotation or longitudinal movement in relation thereto. It may for example consist of the twin segments B B secured together by the bolts B". It is herein shown as cylindrical.

C is a longitudinal member or slab sup- 1 ported at one end upon the transverse mem- -the bracket arms D lems in car ber B and at the other upon the transverse member BF for example by the downwardly depending end portions C C Mounted upon the lower side of the slab C is the bracket member 1), having the downwa'rdly depending side flanges D through which pass the pin D to which are pivoted housing D Mounted in eachend of said housing are the roller races D D provided with the rollers 11) in engagement with the supporting the bearing inner rollerraces or sleeves D D about the reduced ends D of the shaft D. l)" is a securing sleeve for one end of the housing and screw threadedinto the closure member D The opposite end of the shaft extends through the screw threaded closure member D at the opposite end of the housing and receives the pulley hub D secured by thelock nut D ,end of the rodE and the abutment member E slidable along the rod. E

are any suitable adjustment nuts. 1

At the opposite end of slab C from the swinging take-up bearing is positioned the fixed bracket L to which is securedthe' generator housing L from which outwardly projects the motor shaft L? carrying the driven pulley L. It will be understood that the driving belt I extends about the ulleys D and L- and is looped above the driving pulley B. 1

The driving belt for railroad lighting generators forms one of the most diflicult probmaintenance. It frequently happens that the cost of furnishing belts for a single car runs as high as fifty dollars per Pivoted to the lug E on the side of the I housing D is the, yoke member E secured month. The belts do not wear out so much as they break or are out to pieces. One\difficulty is that the fact that moisture gets into the ends of the belt where the belt is clamped or fastened together for assembly around the car axle. This moisture especiall in winter freezes and the belt just brea S off. In summer the moisture gets into the belt and causes it to rot. Certainly o ninety percent and more railroad engineers will testify to this fact. My invention contemplates the provision .of a short endless belt which can be water-proof throughout, thus avoiding this breakage or destruction. The use and operation of my invention are as follows: 7

Among the prevailing problems in motor generator practice as applied to motor railroad cars, are the alignment of driving and g0 driven pulleys, the limiting of both wear and breakage of belts, and the avoidance of undue strain upon belt and generator. I providefor a positive alignment of the pulleys eitheraby positioning the motor generator itself upon the car truck or by positioning a driven pulley upon the car truck, and providing a flexible driving connection between such pulley and the generator. In either case the relation of the pulleys is unaffected by the relative movement of truck and car frame.

I employ a drive pulley fixed on the axle, a driven pulley on the car truck, constantly aligned with the drive pulley, and an idler or tension pulley, mounted on the'car truck and held against axial movement in relation to the drive and driven pulleys, but yieldingly positioned upon a bracket pivoted to the truck for rotation about an axis parallel with the axis of rotation of the axle. I employ a bracket arm D normally thrust by the compression spring E into tensional position, thus holding the belt I tightly against the driving pulley, the belt engaging such pulley about-a substantial proportion of its periphery.

The driving and the driven pulleys being close togetherI employ a short belt and I prefer to eliminate all difliculties caused by belt fasteners by employing a closed woven or rubber belt.

It will be noted that in my-device the driving connection as a unit is undisturbed when the car wheel and axle are removed. The only effect of the moving of the car wheel by lowering the axle from beneath the car is to relax the tension on the belt. This not only permits easier and quicker removal of the wheel, but avoids any necessity of moving or removing parts of the drive and thus avoids the risk of changes in alignment or adjustment.

I claim:

1. The combination with a' railroad car.

truck of a generator drive frame removably 5 mounted thereon, a pair of pulleys carried by and in fixed relation to said frame, a drive pulley on the car axle located between the pulleys of the pair, an endless belt extending around said pulleys and engaging the upper side of the driving pulley, the pair of pulleys proj ccting laterally from the frame and supported thereon at one side of their working faces only, an electric generator mounted on the frame, one of the pulleys being mounted on the generator shaft.

2. A generator drive for railroad cars and the like comprising a truck having a wheeled axle with a driving pulley thereon, idler pulleys mounted on the truck on either side of the driving pulley and having supports located at one side of their working faces only, a generator mounted on the truck to' which one of said idler pulleys is directly connected and an endless belt traveling over the idler pulleys and engaging the driving pulley on the upper side thereof only.

3. A generator drive for railroad cars and the like comprising a truck having a wheeled axle with a driving pulley thereon, a frame removably mounted on the truck, a generator mounted on one end of the frame, a pulley mounted on the generator shaft and located at one side of the driving pulley, a pulley mounted on the frame at the other side of the generator shaft, an endless belt traveling over said pulleys and engaging the driving pulley on the upper side thereof only.

4;. A generator drive for railroad cars and the like comprising a truck having a wheeled axle with a drivin pulley thereon, a frame removably mounte on the truck, a generator mounted on one end of the frame, a pulley mounted on the generator shaft and located at one side of the driving pulley, a pulley mounted on the frame at the other side of the generator shaft, an endless belt traveling over said pulleys and engaging the driving pulley on the upper side thereof only, yielding means for swinging the pulley removed from the generator toward and from the genglfid'fll pulley to control the tension on the 5. A generator drive for railroad cars and the like comprising a truck having a wheeled axle with a drivin pulley thereon, a frame removably mounte on the truck, a generator mounted on one end of the frame, a pulley mounted on the generator shaft and located at one side of the driving pulley, a pulley mounted on the frame at the other side of the generator shaft, an endless belt traveling over said pulleys and engaging the driving pulley on the upper side thereof only, the pulleys being supported on one sideof their working faces only.

6. A generator drive for railroad cars and the like comprising a truck having a wheeled axle with a driving pulley thereon, a frame removably mounted on the truck, a generator mounted on one end of the frame, a pulley mounted on the generator shaft and located at one side of the driving pulley, a pullev mounted on the frame at -the other side I the like comprising a truck having a wheeled axle with a driving pulley thereon, ,a support mounted on the truck, a generator mounted on the support, a pulley mounted on the generat'o'r shaft and located at one side of the driving pulley, a pulley mounted on the support at the other side of the generator shaft, an endless belt traveling over said pulleys and engaging the driving pulley on the upper side thereof only.

8. A generator drive for railroad cars and the like comprising a truck having a wheeled axle with a driving pulley thereon, a support mounted on the truck, a generator mounted on the support, a pulley mounted on the gena support mounted on the truck, a generator mounted onthe support, a pulley mounted on the generator shaft and located at one side of the driving pulley, a pulley mounted on the support at the other side of the generator shaft, an endless belt traveling over said pulleys and engaging the driving pulley on the upper side thereof only, yielding means for swinging the pulley removed from the generator toward and from the generator pulley to control the tension on the belt, the pulleys being supported on one side of their workin faces only.

igned at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, this 10th day of September,

CHARLES W. DAKE.

erator-shaft and located at one side of the driving pulley, a pulley mounted on the support at the other side of the generator shaft, an endless belt traveling over said pulleys and engaging the driving pulley on the upper side thereof only, yielding means for swinging the pulley removedfrom the'generatortoward and from the generator pulley to control the tension on the belt.

9. A generator drive for railroad cars and the like comprising a truck having a wheeled axle with a driving pulley thereon, a support mounted on the truck, a generator mounted on the support, a pulley mounted on the generator shaft and located at one side of the driving pulley, a pulley mounted on the su port at the other side of the generator sha an endless belt traveling over said pulleys andengaging the drivingpulley on the upper side thereof only, the pulleys being suppofted on one side of their working faces on y.

10. A generator drive for railroad cars and the like comprising a truck having a wheeled axle with a driving pulley thereon,

a support mounted on the truck, a generator mounted on the support, a pulley mounted on the generator shaft and located at one on the upper side thereof only, being supported on one ing aces only. Y

11. A generator drive for railroad cars and the like comprising a truck having a wheeled axle with a driving pulley thereon, 

